The technology of smartwatches evolved at the turn of this century, but the popularity of such devices got a boost with android-based smartwatches appearing one after another during the last few years, especially when in Consumer Electronic Show, 2014, a large number of new smartphones surfaced. With the Android Wear platform emerging in the middle of 2014, LG’s G Watch, Samsung’s Gear Live and Motorola’s Moto saw the light of the day. The recent launch of LG’s Watch Urbane 2nd Edition will perhaps be remembered as a milestone for being capable to operate independently from Android or iOS smartphone.

LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition, as the name suggests, is an improved version of its Watch Urbane. The device, measuring 44.5x14.2 mm, having a 1.38 inches fully circular P-OLED display and resolution of 480x480 pixel (density 348 ppi) is slightly larger in display as compared to its original version. It is powered by 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU with 768 of RAM and 4-GB of built in memory. It has built-in cellular capabilities and is equipped with in-built GPS for location tracking. The other features include calling from the wrist, 3G/4G connectivity, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options, etc. The built-in sensors feature accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer, heart rate sensor and GPS.

The watch runs on a hexagonal battery of 570 mAh capacity that will last “throughout the day and more,” if put on the Power Saving mode. As compared to the single button in the original version of Watch Urbane, this model features three buttons, enabling activation/deactivation of ambient mode and quick access to favourite apps and settings. It will be available in four shades - Space Black, Opal Blue, Luxe White and Signature Brown. While the US and Korea will soon be getting the device, information about its availability elsewhere is not forthcoming. There are no words about the pricing either.

Compiler : Syed Zafar Ahmad

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